Ham boiler



T. PFEFFER Oct. 19, 1965 HAM BOILER Filed July 25, 1962 INVENTOR. 720/UL! p/ij/gr United States Patent O "ice 3,212,427 HAM BOILER Theophil Pfeifer, Esslingen (Neckar), Germany, assigner to Messrs. Ritter Aluminium G.m.b.H., Esslingen (Neckar), Germany Filed July 25, 1962, Ser. No. 212,282 Claims. (Cl. 99-351) Ham boilers usually consist of an oblong, pot-shaped vessel. During boiling, the ham should be under a slight pressure which .may be accomplished Iby providing a cover, the shape of which is adapted to that of the vessel so that it may be displaced in height within the vessel, because the amount of food to be boiled is not always the same. The cover is urged by spring force towards the content. This biasing is necessary, because during the boiling, the ham first collapses, because the cavities therein close, and then expands again.

According to the present invention, there is provided between the cross-member and the cover, and substantially parallel to the cross-member, a leaf spring, made preferably from a heat-treatable, corrosion-resistant aluminium alloy and resting with its centre portion against the cross-member and with its ends against the cover.

The spring arrangement of the present invention eliminates the known screwed stud connection between crossmember and cover which resulted in corrosion of the studs. Instead, the cover is lguided in the cross-member by means of oblong holes into which extend upwardly directed lugs of the cover. These lugs serve both as guides and as supports for the leaf spring ends. The con nection between the cover and the cross-member may be such that the cross-member straddles the cover in the manner of a fork, at least in the zones of the oblong guide holes.

The leaf spring may also be used for locating the retaining members mounted pivotably on the end faces of the cross-member as known in the art and which may be equipped with ratchets engaging under the rim of the vessel. These retaining members are easily detachably mounted by means of pivot pins in upwardly open bearings formed Iby fork-shaped projections, and are secured against slipping out by the top leaf of the leaf spring, which is correspondingly extended. For cleaning, the retaining member is pushed upwardly against the spring leaf and may then be lifted out of its bearing laterally by means of its pivot pin.

The topmost spring leaf may also be used to provide the spring force for pivoting the retaining members resiliently inwardly towards the vessel. In this way, the connection between the cross-member and the vessel cannot be accidentally slackened, because when cross-member and cover are assembled, the retaining members engage automatically into the rim of the vessel. This inward springing is achieved as a result of the contact point between spring leaf and retaining member being offset inwardly relative to the pivot axis of the latter.

According to the invention, the retaining members may be pivoted into their open position successively. This is possible because the upper ends of the retaining members have the shape of a right angle with rounded off edge. In the closed position of the retaining member, one leg of the angle is substantially parallel to the end of the leaf spring resting thereon, whilst in the open position, the other leg of the angle assumes this position.

The invention Will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of the boiling pot assembly;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section along the line II-II in FIG. l;

3,212,427 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the end portion of the cross member seen in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section along the line lV-IV in FIG. 3.

The vessel 10, adapted to receive the ham or the like, has a cover 11, resting in the operative position on the food to be boiled. The cover 11 has integrally cast projections or lugs 12 which are connected with a channelshaped cross-member 13. The cross-member 13 extends longitudinally and centrally above the vessel and has in its centre a cross-section in the shape of an inverted U. At the sides, the legs of this channel extend further downwards and straddle the lugs 12. At the end faces, the inner space of this channel is closed by walls 14. The downwardly projecting parts of the cross-member 13 are provided with oblong holes 15 with upper wider sections 16, receiving the end sections of connecting studs 17. The thicker centre sections of the studs 17 pass through the bores of the lugs 12, whilst the thinner sections may slide in the holes 15, 16. The transitions between the centre section and the end sections of each stud are tapering in order to facilitate fitting and dismantling. Because the cross-section of the cross-member is preferably that of an inverted U, the leaf spring is protected, and may be mounted externally invisibly within the inner space of the channel. Furthermore, the downwardly projecting legs of the channel may be used for the oblong hole guides between cross-member and cover.

The stack of leaf springs 18 of a heat-treatable, corrosion-proof aluminium alloy, such as Al-Mg-Si rests in the centre on the cross-member and at its ends on the cover lugs 12.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, each side wall 14 of the cross-member has two fork-shaped projections 19, forming bearings 20 for pivot pins 21 of retaining members 22. These retaining members 22 engage by means of ratchet teeth 23 under the rim of the vessel which is equipped at the appropriate points with mating teeth 24. The upper ends of the retaining members 22 which may be formed integrally with their pivot pins 21, have, in side elevation, as seen in FIG. l, the shape of a right angle, whose legs 25 and 26 are joined by a rounded-olf portion. The end of the leg 26 carries a stop shoulder 27. The topmost spring leaf 28 of the spring assembly 18 extends beyond the leg 25.

In the closed position, shown in the drawing, the spring leaf 28 urges the face of the leg 25 with a force, the line of attack of which bypasses the pivot pin 21, so that the retaining members are aifected resiliently in the direction of the vessel so that one of the teeth 23 may engage under the corresponding mating tooth 24. In order to open the retaining members 22, these are pivoted upwardly, reaching-as in the case of a toggle switch-a stable end position, shown by a chain-dotted line. A further pivoting movement in the upward direction is impossible, because the stop 27 rests against the front face 29 of the leaf 28, preventing the leaf 28 from being bent through further upwardly and protecting it thus from being overstressed.

If the retaining members are to be dismantled for cleaning, the leaf 28 is simply pushed upwardly, allowing the pivot pins 21 easily to be pulled out of the bearings 20 towards the side. Also the connection Ibetween the crossmember 13 and the cover 11 may be easily uncoupled by pressing the cover and cross-member together and withdrawing the connecting pin 17. Thus, the boiling vessel may easily be dismantled within a very short time without any special tools, in order to be cleaned. In order to facilitate the dismantling of cross-member and cover for cleaning purposes, the studs should be easily detachable. To this end, the oblong holes are, preferably at their upper ends, expanded to form bores, having a larger diameter than at the stud centre section. Thus, when the wider part of the studs is seated in the upper end of the oblong holes, the studs may only be removed with tensioned leaf spring, so that accidental dismantling is prevented. Faulty assembly is impossible, even with untrained operators, 'because the parts can only be assembled in the correct position.

In order to eliminate the risk of corrosion, all parts of the boiling vessel may be made from aluminium or corrosion-resistant light alloys.

What I claim is:

1. In a meat boiler of the type having a meat receiving vessel, in combination, a cover member having an upper side and an underside and arranged to extend into and to come with its underside to rest on the contents of the vessel, said cover member comprising a pair of spaced projections extending from the upper side thereof; a cross member located above said cover member and dening an elongated channel which is open toward the upper side of said cover member and receives said projections, said cross member having a pair of side walls which straddle said projections; connecting means securing said projections to said cross member so that the cross member is movable within limits toward and away from said cover member, said connecting means comprising studs each having a centre section secured to one of said projections and end sections received in olblong holes provided in said side walls; a package of leaf springs accommodated in said channel, said package having a median portion engaging said cross member and end portions engaging said projections so as to bias said members apart, at least the major part of said package being concealed in said channel; and retaining members articulately secured to said cross member and having portions arranged to engage the vessel so as to keep said package in compressed condition.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the diameters of said centre sections exceed the diameters of the respective end sections, each of said holes having a lower portion dimensioned to receive one end section and an upper portion dimensioned to receive the centre section of the respective stud so that said studs may be Withdrawn when the centre sections are aligned with the upper portions of the respective holes in response to movement of said cross member toward said cover member.

3. In a meat boiler of the type having a meat receiving vessel, in combination, a cover member having an upper side and an underside and arranged to extend into and to come with its underside to rest on the contents of the vessel, said cover member comprising a pair of spaced projections extending from the upper side thereof; an elongated cross member located above said cover member and deining an elongated channel which is open toward the upper side of said cover member and receives said projections, said cross member having two fork shaped end portions; connecting means securing said projections to said cross member so that the cross member is movable within limits toward and away from said cover member; a package of leaf springs accommodated in said channel, said package having a median portion engaging said cross member and end portions engaging said projections so as to bias said members apart, at least the major part of said package being concealed in said channel; and retaining members articulately secured to the end portions of said cross member and having portions arranged to engage the vessel so as to keep said package in compressed condition, each retaining member comprising a transverse pivot pin extending into upwardly open bearings provided in the respective end portions, said package comprising an additional leaf spring having ends which overlie said retaining members to keep said pivot pins in the respective bearings.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said retaining members comprises a pair of mutually inclined faces one of which abuts against the respective end of said additional leaf spring when the corresponding retaining member engages the vessel and the other of which albuts against the respective end of said additional leaf spring when the corresponding retaining member is disengaged from the vessel.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 4, wherein each retaining member comprises a stop shoulder which comes in abutment with the respective end of said additional leaf spring when the other face of the corresponding retaining member engages the respective end of Said additional leaf spring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,458,507 6/ 23 Adelmann 99-351 1,540,186 6/25 Rispel et al 99-351 1,611,380 12/26 Roth 99--351 1,613,151 l/27 Adelmann 99--351 1,770,431 7/30 Rispel et a1 99-351 1,946,149 2/ 34 Churchill 99-349 2,175,217 10/ 39 Salkuist 292-259 2,192,225 3/ 40 Gleason 99-351 2,669,447 2/ 54 OConnor 267--1 FOREIGN PATENTS 719,714 11/31 France.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, ROBERT E. PULFREY,

Examiners. 

1. IN A MEAT BOILER OF THE TYPE HAVING A MEAT RECEIVING VESSEL, IN COMBINATION, A COVER MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER SIDE AND AN UNDERSIDE AND ARRANGED TO EXTEND INTO AND TO COME WITH ITS UNDERSIDE TO REST ON THE CONTENTS OF THE VESSEL, SAID COVER MEMBER COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED PROJECTIONS EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER SIDE THEREOF; A CROSS MEMBER LOCATED ABOVE SAID COVER MEMBER AND DEFINING AN ELONGATED CHANNEL WHICH IS OPEN TOWARD THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID COVER MEMBER AND RECEIVES SAID PROJECTIONS, SAID CROSS MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS WHICH STRADDLE SAID PROJECTIONS; CONNECTING MEANS SECURING SAID PROJECTIONS TO SAID CROSS MEMBER SO THAT THE CROSS MEMBER IS MOVABLE WITHIN LIMITS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID COVER MEMBER, SAID CONNECTING MEANS COMPSIRING STUDS EACH HAVING A CENTRE SECTION SECURED TO ONE OF SAID PROJECTIONS AND END SECTIONS RECEIVED IN OBLONG HOLES PROVIDED IN SAID 